Donald Brooks

Donald Brooks is a graduate student at Bard College Center for Environmental Policy, where he is working on renewable energy issues in developing countries with the LaGuardia Foundation in New York City. Brooks’ career path has developed over many years but evolved from an early age. He was born near San Bernardino in Southern California amidst glorious orange groves. By the time he graduated from high school, the groves were nearly gone — replaced by urban sprawl. After graduating from La Sierra University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Brooks began teaching English in Los Angeles. After recovering from brain cancer, he moved to Oakland, where he continued to teach and then to intern with Global Exchange and Greenpeace. Brooks’ experience at these institutions sparked a desire to more directly influence public policy making with environmental stewardship. He chose to attend Bard with hopes of developing environmental leadership skills. He looks forward to working in Latin America, where he hopes to offset the increased energy demands of newly developing rural populations while also safeguarding the environment. Brooks’ hobbies include writing, filmmaking, acting and yo-yos. He is also learning to sing and play the guitar.

Founded 30 years ago in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is the nation’s oldest and largest institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through property rights and markets.

The goal of PERC’s programs is to fully realize the vision of establishing “PERC University,” where scholars, students, policy makers, and others convene to expand the applications of free market environmentalism.

PERC's fellowships share a common goal of exposing new scholars, students, journalists, and policy makers to free market environmentalism, as well as enable scholars already familiar with FME to explore new applications.